Ghostface Original Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Spoil the Franchise with Scream 7.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a massive family reunion. This latest installment signals the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

"Returning to a role you played in your twenties when you're in your fifties was a daunting task that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallen Favorites

Reports have confirmed that three different characters from earlier films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Fans should get ready for the return of the beloved and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first occasion since a small cameo is a long-held wish, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the precise instant he got the offer from the series creator.

"I recall the phone call. I remember the pleasantries. I recall him asking. That moment is indelibly imprinted on my psyche," he says. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved cult status in the decades since the 1996 movie premiered, which left Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a role that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is in the same position like the rest of us to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling immense anxiety about not wanting to be the one who damages the popular series.

"It's either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I have no idea if the film will be successful. I am unsure if people want to see me. I've certainly seen plenty of people state and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this idea?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not mess up the franchise. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Anticipation Abound

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back remains. Maybe they exist as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, maybe they are somehow all alive in a strange shared scenario. The chance of a meta-horror story, inspired by earlier genre films, also is on the table.

Audiences will discover the truth when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.